The present disclosure relates to audio signal processing including lip synchronization of vocal performance in pre-recorded music.
Lip synchronization, also known as lip synching, or lip sync, is the practice of a performer simulating a vocal performance of pre-recorded audio. Lip syncing is commonly used in film, television, music videos, as well as live concert performance. Lip synching is a form of performance and musical pantomime. One of the goals of lip synching is to create the illusion that the performer is actually singing.
Modern live performance attempts to create a consistent, pleasing, and entertaining audio and visual experience for the audience. With this in mind, musical performers use lip synching during live performance to help produce a high-quality performance for the audience. During a lip-synced performance, the performer may either mimic singing or actually sing, but the vocal performance transmitted to the audience is pre-recorded. The pre-recorded acoustic instrument or vocal tracks are known as backing tracks or pre-recorded backing tracks. Pre-recorded backing tracks can be used to either replace or supplement portions of a live performance. Some performances may use a combination of lip sync and live performance. For example, much of the song or performance may be live, but more vocally challenging portions of the performance may be lip synched to a pre-recorded backing track. In this example, the live sound engineer would mix in the live vocals during most of the song and fade out the pre-recorded vocal backing track. During the more vocally challenging parts of the performance, the sound engineer will mix in the pre-recorded vocal backing track while fading out the live vocal performance.